Panther78

Genesis 32:25...........................oldest sport ever!!!

I kinda do.......not all of us are a Yanni!!!!!

Thanks for posting that........I appreciate it.

Anybody have a link to the match???? Sorry.......I'm new to the sport!!!!

From Track Wrestling: Cody Bickley was running through one draft of revised Regional Training Center guidelines last weekend when USA Wrestling’s national teams high performance manager came to a section that might have seemed like a head-scratcher to those who follow college athletics. A bullet point in Bickley’s presentation at the National Wrestling Coaches Association annual convention stated this: College-age student-athletes may not be paid for being in the RTC. Just like your school’s star quarterback shouldn’t be wheeling around campus in a booster-bought SUV and it’s illegal when your alma mater is dishing out five-figure payments to that power forward recruit, it’s an NCAA violation, too, when college wrestling programs funnel cash to athletes through their RTC. Seems obvious, right? Maybe not. “We have to say, ‘You can’t be paying people, man,’” Virginia coach Steve Garland said. “The way it is now and the way the RTC system is set, essentially it’s a loophole with the NCAA. The NCAA doesn’t want to deal with it, so you can just do whatever you want and say, ‘RTC. It’s RTC. Do whatever you want, RTC.’ “I think it’s a problem, right? I feel like I do everything I can to do the right things and try to stay within the framework of the rules in my sport and I’m still tempted. I’m human. Well, they say we can do it, let’s do it. I don’t think anybody should be in that situation. Let’s create some legislation that actually says, no, you can’t do that.” USA Wrestling’s website lists 53 RTCs across the country, many of which were launched in the past decade. They were originally designed to help support post-graduates in their quest to win World and Olympic medals, but some argue that they’re being used now in some places as more of a recruiting tool and a way to circumvent the NCAA rules. “I want rules to be followed,” Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “I think we all want that. I want the growth of USA Wrestling. I want the young person who’s psychotically in love with the sport, who wants to be great, to have the opportunity to be great. I also want there to be a level playing field somewhat in the college realm.” RTC reform was a hot-button issue at the 2018 NWCA convention and it bubbled up again last weekend in Fort Lauderdale. Bickley’s presentation had to be moved at the last minute to a bigger meeting room to accommodate a spillover crowd trying to sort through the polarizing subject. On one hand, Regional Training Centers have played a role in USA Wrestling’s recent medal boom on the world stage. More money than ever before is being pumped into the sport to help fuel the RTC arms race and support Olympic dreams, and the training centers have contributed to a flood of young talents who have stepped onto college campuses equipped to win national titles as freshmen. “I don’t think you can point a finger at anything but the RTCs,” Cornell coach Rob Koll said. On the other hand, though, there’s a faction of college coaches who describe the current system like it’s a lawless town in an old John Wayne flick. “Right now these RTCs are out of control,” Wisconsin coach Chris Bono said. “It’s the wild, wild west.” Said Iowa State coach Kevin Dresser: “To be quite honest, there isn’t a rulebook. Anytime there’s no rules in place, things can get out of hand and I think that’s what’s happened.” Added Garland: “This is human nature — we have something good, we take it, we see how we can use it for our own good, we manipulate it, we twist it, we abuse it and now we’re over here. Now we’re outside the lines and think bad things are happening.” Garland and other coaches mentioned the murmurs of student-athletes being paid through RTCs. There was plenty of debate about the validity of RTC positions being filled by parents of prominent recruits. “There’s all these different things that happen that that’s not what the intent of the model was for,” Garland said. “The abuse problem, that’s where we get upset and we want everybody to be on an even playing field. That just makes sense in anything. You want to have some sort of ethical foundation. That’s why we’re bringing it back to saying, ‘Well, what can we do? Should we change the model? Should we do away with it completely? Should we go back to the old local sports club days? Let’s look at this because it has spiraled a little bit out of control.’ There’s tons of positives, too, that people aren’t talking about. It’s going to be interesting to see where it goes.” The playing field has never truly been level in college wrestling — at least not recently and not at the top. Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Penn State have combined to win the last 31 NCAA titles. It’s mostly been a haves versus haves championship battle for the last half century or so. Koll said he fears over legislation of RTCs could “create a bigger imbalance than they could possibly have with the current situation.” “I don’t think it’s as broken as people think it is,” he said. “I think we’re getting great results. They complain that teams are dominant. Well, guess what? Iowa was just as dominant without the RTCs — more dominant than Penn State has ever been — and it’s always been the same cast of characters. The teams that have RTCs have not dropped wrestling programs. Instead, they’ve been growing. “At the same time I’m saying that, it’s the bane of my existence because I have to raise an inordinate amount of money (for) resources to support our RTC. But I’m OK with it.” There’s a groundswell of support, however, from coaches in favor of moving away from RTCs and going back to the local sports club model. Some of the momentum stems from comments made Friday by Oklahoma State coach John Smith during Bickley’s presentation. His message appealed to a group of coaches who would gladly trade in a smaller geographical reach in exchange for more NCAA oversight. As it currently stands, prep athletes who meet RTC standards and reside within a 250-mile radius of an RTC are allowed to train with that club. That area would shrink to a 50-mile radius with a local sports club. “(Smith) didn’t say much, but his sentence rocked me more than anything here and made me question some things and look at some things in another way,” Ryan said. “If we can still raise funds for elite athletes to stay in the sport, if college coaches can still interact with their elite athletes, then we’re just not losing much. “I called my compliance and she said, ‘You don’t really lose much by doing that model, and what you gain is oversight. I think everyone here — of the 78 coaches — the oversight is the concern more than anything.” Dresser said he doesn’t see a big gap between the local sports club rules and the guidelines USA Wrestling put on the table. “I think if USA Wrestling looks at it hard, I think they’re going to find out this might be an easier road for them, too,” he said. “If USA Wrestling has to get into the compliance business, one, they’re not set up to get into the compliance business. And two, their phone is going to ring off the wall. It’s going to be out of control. And they’re the first to admit they’re not a compliance organization. The NCAA’s a compliance organization. “I think the vast majority of college coaches want a compliance factor to this. They want to be able to know that there’s rules out there and the rules are being enforced. Right now we have no enforcement. There’s a document out there and if you don’t follow the document that’s on USA Wrestling’s website there’s no ramifications. It’s kind of like putting a speed sign up that says the speed limit is 65, but everyone’s driving 120 because you don’t get pulled over.”

Here's the schedule I'll be paying most attention to!!! https://gomountaineers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1155 Go get'm bud!!!!!

Speaking to windows and mats, our team used to go to a tournament in a domed facility and between 11:00 and 1:00 you didn't want to get your back put to the mat because they wer HOT!!! This was in a relatively cold area! They might find out that those windows cause them more trouble than they anticipated!!!

Or this one....... Many years ago, Manny Holmes was the 167-pounder for Mason City (Iowa)Community College. The Iowa State freshmen were scheduled to wrestleManny's team. A quote from Holmes in the Mason City newspaper - "It'stoo bad Jean won't be down to 167 for this match" - made its way toAmes."I cut 33 1/2 pounds in three days to get to 167," Jean said. "Manny was down 17-1 when I pinned him."Please, young Jeff Long, take this advice: When referring to Chuck Jean as "Chicken Wing," never forget to smile.

Not a tattoo fan but don't really care what others do or don't do......one of my favorite tattoo cartoons......

Being new to the board and relatively new to the sport of wrestling I notice that most of the discussion is about the Division 1 wrestlers and programs! I am curious if there are many stories of successful transfer athletes in wrestling from the lower divisions up to Division 1! Take it easy on a rookie sticking his neck out :)

One of the phenomenal facts about Askren......he has always looked like a non-athlete, pudgy..........not one day of his career has he looked like the stereotypical wrestler!!!! I have enjoyed what he brought to wrestling and continues to promote for the sport!!!

Or at 2:38.....what a beast!!!

Can you post that link to the release?

Does he have an older brother that would have graduated HS in 16?